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<title>Approach to Equilibrium</title>

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<h3 style="text-align:center;">Approach to equilibrium</h3>

<p class="header_title">Introduction</p>

<p>The
following three simulations explore some of the qualitative properties of macroscopic
systems. Before you actually do the
simulations, think about what you believe the results will be. In many
cases, the most valuable part of the simulation is not the simulation
itself, but the act of thinking about a concrete model and its behavior.</p>

<p>Questions to ponder as you do these simulations include the following:</p>

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<li>Do macroscopic systems exhibit a direction of time? If so, why?</li>

<li>What is the nature of equilibrium?</li>

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<p class="header_title">Simulations</p>

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<li><a href="box.html">Particles in a box</a>. A simple Monte Carlo simulation.</li>

<li><a href="md3.html">Three partitions</a>. A molecular dynamics simulation of a box divided into three partitions.</li>

<li><a href="md2.html">Two partitions</a>. A molecular dynamics simulation of a box divided into two partitions.</li>

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<p class = "small">Updated 25 February 2007.</p>

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